Vacuum-creating and dust-separating machine.



M. KENT. VACUUM CREATING AND DUST SEPARATING MACHINE.

B. IVI. KENT.

VACUUM CREATING AND DUST SEPAHATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.26. 1913.

Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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i N vT MN E 'EET M. KENT, 0E WASHINGTON, nIsTnIcT or coLUMBIA, asSIeNon, BY DIRECT lANN MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, To THE KENT VACUUM CLEANER COMPANY, INcg, or NOME, NEW Monk, A eoEIoEATIoN or NEW vonk.

.To all whom t may concern."

Be it known that l, BERT M. KENT, residing at Washington, District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Vacuum-Creating and Dust- Separating Machines, of which the following is a specification.

'lhis invention has for one of its objects the provision of a machine for creating vacuum and separating dust and dirt from air, which will be especially adapted for use in connection with vacuum cleaning systems.

Another object is to provide a machine of this class which is adapted'for permanent installation in a building and in combination with suitable suction pipes which lead to .convenient points throughout the building where a cleaning hose may be attached.

A further object is to provide a machine of this class which is power operated and the operating parts of which are fully inclosed and supported on the base of the machine whereby vibration and noise duetto the operation ofthe machine will be reduced to a minimum.

A further object is to provide a machine of this class in which the cyclone principle of dust separation is employed land the use of screens avoided.

A. further object is to provide a unitary machine of neat and symmetrical appearance which will be simple in construction, efficient and the moving parts of which will be read' y accessible, although fully inclosed.

A further object is to provide a machine of this class in which the dust and dirt will be collected in a receptacle which can be readily removed from'. time to time for the purpose of emptying same. Y v

The invention may be embodied in dille entforms of machines and l have illustrated in the accompanying drawings vone iorm which accomplishes allof the above obJlects.`

ln the drawings:

'y Figure 1 is a central vertical Section of the machine. Y

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a section on 1ine3-'-3 of Fig.l1, the fan being shown in planl view. y Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the machine illustrated is of the vertical Specification of Letters Patent.

VACUUM-CREATING AND DUST-SEPARATING MACHINE.

Patented Mar. at, mit.,

'Application led Aug-ust 26, 1913. Serial No. 786,749.

type. and comprises a base 10 which supports a motor 11 having an upward shaft The lower section 15 of the fan casing is supported on the base 10 by means of legs 21, these legs being secured to the base andcasing by bolts 22 and 23, respectively. rlhe lower section of the casing has a central opening 24, for the Shaft extension 12, this opening being of such size that the casing Will 'be out 'of contact-with the rotating parts so that any vibrations in the rotating parts will not be transmitted directly. to the casing.

The fan 13 maybe of any suitable construction and in the form illustrated consists of a hub '25, to which are secured a lower disk v26 and blades 27. The blades 27 are 29 which are not connected with the hub 25.A

The upper disk is provided with a central inlet opening 30 through which the air enters, the air being discharged at the perlphery of the fan into a diffuser which consists of two rings 31 and 32 between which are,

guide vanes 33 for soguidingtheair, discharged from the fan,'that its velocity or kinetic energy will be largely converted into potential or pressure energy. The rings 31' Y and 32 engage suitable grooves or seats in the sections of the fan casing. and are preferably unattached'to either section so that the sections may be readily separated. When the upper section of the casing is taken 0H the di'user may be readily lifted from the lower section andthus removed. The air is discharged by the diffuser into the annular passage formed. in the fan 'casing andthence passes out through the exhaust pipe 20.

The spacev between the base 10-and the lower section of the fan casing is inclosed by a cylindrical .casing 34 whichV may be' cess to the motor. For the purpose of ventilating the motor the casing 34 is provided with upper and lower rows of openings 35 and 36, respectively.

Secured to the upper section 14 of the fan casing is a cylindrical shell or casing 38,

the shell having riveted or otherwise attracted thereto an inwardly turned flange .l 39 which is secured to the fan casing by screws 40. A flange 41 on the fan casing surrounds the lower end of the shell 38 and the joint between these parts is suitably sealed to prevent air leakage. At the upper end of the shell 38, a ring42 is provided,

this ring having a groove for a packing 43 which is engaged by a removable cover 44. The ring 42 is also provided with lugs 45 tol which clamping bolts 46 for the cover are pivoted. The cover has ears 47 which` are slotted to receive the bolts 46 and which are engaged on their upper side lby the nuts 48.

Tangentially arranged on the upper part 'of the shell 38 is an inlet fitting 49 having a flange 50'to which a -iange sleeve 51is bolted. Thesleeve '51 has the suction pipe 52 attached thereto. Another inlet fitting 53 is secured tothe shell 38, preferably on the same level as fitting 49. The end of fitting 53 is normally closed by a suitable plug 54 which may be removed to permit the attachment of a flexible hose for cleaning the room in which the machine is located. From Fig. 2 it will be apparent that the vair entering through the fittings 49 and 53 will whirl in lthe same direction within theshell 38 and for reasons which will be explained mo-re fully hereinafter the direction of movement of the air within the shell is the same as the rotation of the fan.

The upper section 14 of the fan casing is provided with a central opening 55,which registers with the fan inlet 30, and this opening is surrounded by an upwardly projecting flange 56 to which a vertical pipe 5 7 is attached, this pipe preferably extending to a point adjacent the cover 44 and having its upper end surrounded by a hood or baffle 58 carried by the cover 44.

Arranged within the shell 38 and resting on the'fan casing is anannular dirt collecting pan 59. This pan is provided with handles 60 and has its outer wall flanged outwardly at the top to loosely fit an apron 61 on the shell 38. lAt its'center the pan 58 has a tube 62 secured to the bottom thereof and adapted to surround the pipe 57, the upper end being lianged inwardly to more closely lit the pipe 57. l

In the operation ofthe machine the air whichv enters `the inlets 49 and 53 whirls p `around onthe interior of thel shell 38y and pan 59, the apron 61 deflecting thedirt so -as to largely prevent it from falling between the shell and the pan and also permitting the pan to be materially smaller than the shell so that the pan can be easily removed. By having the inlets below the top of pipe 57 it is practically impossible for any particlesof appreciable size to get into the pipe and be carried through the machine, but as a further protection I have provided the hood 58. The air moves in a spiral path from the inlets to the pipe 57 and then spirally down through the pipe to the fan inlet 30. In order to reduce the power losses in the fan to a minimum it is desirable to have the air and the portion of the fan blade which it strikes on entering the fan move iii-'substantially the same direction and at as nearly the same velocity as practicable. This has been accom lished heretofore by curving the inner en s, and by providing guide vanes which will direct the air into the fan with a minimum amount of shock. By giving the air a whirling or spiral motion,as I have done, it is possible to minimize the shock, and at the same time provide a simple fan construction in which the blades are radial.

As will be seen from the drawings, the machine is fully inclosed so that none of the Working parts are exposed. It is possible, however, to readily gain access to the working paxrts by taking out the bolts 16 and removing the upper half of the fan casing, together with the parts carried thereby. This exposes the fan and the diffuser, and, if necessary, these may be readily removed and then the lower half of the fan casing taken ol' to expose the motor. The casing inclosing the motor chamber may be also readily rremoved.

By providing the openings in the. casing from the motor chamber, the air which is heated by the motor will pass out through the upper openings and cooler air will be drawn in through the lower openings, a circulation being thus maintained which will effectually cool the motor.

Having thus described my invention, what is 4claimed is:

1. In a vacuum creating and dust separating machine, the combination of a dust collecting chamber of circular form having a vertical axis and a horizontal tangentially arranged inlet opening whereby the air is given a cyclonic motion withi'n the chamber, and a centrifugal fan rotating in the same direction as the aifr in said chamber and communicating with` the chamber above the level of said inlet.

. 2. In a vacuum creating and dust separating machine, the combination of a dust collecting chamber of circular form having a vertical axis and a horizontal tangentially arranged inlet whereby the air is given a cyclonic 'motion within thechamber, a cen- I the chamber to said fan and arranged to maintain the cyclonic motion of the air until it reaches the fan.

3. In a vacuum creating' and dust separating machine,l the combination of a dust collecting chamber of circular form having a vertical axis and a horizontal tangentially arranged inlet opening whereby the air is given a cyclonic motion withinthe chamber, a centrifugal fan rotating in the same direction as the air in said chamber and arranged at the bottom thereof, anda conduit opening into the upper part of said chamber abovel said inlet and having itsA lower end in communication with the inlet opening to said fan'.

4.111 a vacuum creating and dust separating machine, the combinationof a dust collecting chamber of circular form having a vertical axis and a horizontal tangentially4 arranged inlet opening whereby the air is given a cyclonic motion within the chamber, a centrifugal fan rotating'in the same direction as the air in said4 chamber, and there being an unscreened passage for the air from a point in said .chamber above the level of said inlet to the fan whereby the .cyclonic' motion of the air is maintained and the air 1s permitted to enter the fan tangentially. 5. In a vacuum creating and dust separating machine, the combination of a vertical cylindrical dust; separating chamber having' a tangentially arranged inlet at an intermediate point in the side wall thereof, a removable cover for the top of said. chamber, a,v

pan in the lower part of the chamber adapted to receive the dust and-vertically removab'le through the top of the chamber, vacuum creating means below said chamber,` and and a pipe extending upwardly in the center of said chamber to. thereof.

'ing communication with said a point near the topk 6. In a vacuum creating and dust sepacenter of said chamber, a suction pipe. hav

chamber through the side wall thereof below the upper end of said first-mentioned pipe, and a removable dust collecting pan surrounding said first-mentioned pipe and arranged wholly below the suction pipe inlet.

In a vacuum creating and dust separating machine, the combination of a vertical cylindrical dust separating chamber, vacuum creatingmeans having an inlet communicating with said chamber through the bottomwall thereof, a central vertical pipe Secured to the bottom wall of the chamber a'ndginI communication. with said inlet, a removable top for said chamber, and a removable annular dust collecting pan in said chamber surroundin said pipe, said chamber having a 'tangential suction pipe connection on the side wall thereof above said pan.

8. In a vacuum, creating and dust separating machine, the combination of a vertical Vcylindrical dust separating chamber, vacuum creating means having an inlet communicating with said chamber through the bottom wall thereof, a central vertical pipe secured to the bottom wall of said chamber and -in-communicatin with said inlet, a removable top for said chamber, a cylindrical baffle secured to said top and concentric with and. extending to a point below the top of said pipe, a removable annular dust collecting pan surrounding said pi e, and a suction pipe connection on the s1de wall of the 

